


Fault

by riatheriver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-07 18:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8811802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riatheriver/pseuds/riatheriver
Summary: “Don’t be so sour Granger, don’t Gryffindors like to share?” he asked, nodding to the bottle.She looked at him in surprise, just now noticing how tired and worn down he looked- not to mention drunk.“You’re the one that’s sulking around Malfoy,” she spat. “And I think you’ve had enough.”He pouted as he sat down next to her and held his hand out. “Come on Granger, I won’t tell if you don’t.”--After the Gryffindors win a match against Slytherin early on in the year, Ron hooks up with Lavender. Hermione runs away in tears but after talking to Harry, who has to wrestle a bottle of firewhiskey away from her, she runs into an equally sullen, sulky, and drunk Malfoy.





	1. The Match

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor have I ever, own any piece of Harry Potter. All characters, settings, etc. are property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

Hermione’s eyes widened as she helplessly watched a bludger speed towards Ginny Weasley and smack into her arm forcefully. She cringed, averting her eyes. “Oh that’s definitely gonna leave a mark! It’s been hours already and it’s getting dark. How long can a quidditch match go on anyway?” She asked Luna anxiously, biting her lip.

Luna sighed and tilted her head. “Oh, I don’t know. It seems both teams have been training very hard. That’s quite good for them, there’s just always such palpable animosity between Slytherin and Gryffindor.”

“Katie Bell speeds past a recovering, and very angry, Ginny Weasley with the quaffle in hand. Harper gets ready to block Katie’s throw and-10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!” shouted the voice of Seamus Finnigan. “And the quaffle is immediately taken by Vaisey- wait no, it’s Gryffindor’s, thank you for that Ginny- oh no! Urquhart has it now! He flies through Peakes and Coote, heading straight to Ron- come on, come on-- Yes! Weasley blocks the quaffle, keeping Gryffindor in the lead at 240 points!”

Hermione rolled her eyes. “Why did McGonagall agree to let Seamus do the commentating? I can hardly hear anything he’s saying over all the noise! All I could hear was that-”

“Ron blocked the quaffle from Urquhart,” chimed in Lavender.

“Thanks, but that’s actually-”

“HE’S GOT IT! HARRY’S GOT THE SNITCH! TAKE THAT SLYTHERIN! GRYFFINDOR WINS BY 180 POINTS!” 

The effect of Seamus’s words was immediate. Hermione could hear roaring and cheering from her side of the stands. She looked to the pitch and saw Harry holding his fist up triumphantly, golden snitch in hand. Ron had flown down next to him and people from the stands were starting to rush towards them. It was infectious. 

Hermione felt her cheeks rise in a smile. She was so proud to belong in Gryffindor and she was so proud of her boys. They deserved to win this match. 

A sudden blur by her left side caught her eye and she saw a sullen looking Malfoy jump off his broom and head towards the direction of the changing rooms.

Before she had any time to think of it though, she was engulfed in a hug by Harry and Ron. She laughed loudly and congratulated them on their win.

“Hermione, it’s not just us who won. You won too! We all won today,” Harry said to her as he put his arm around her shoulder. 

“You know how I feel about quidditch. But, yes, for the sake of celebration let’s just say we all won,” Hermione tutted. Harry started pulling her away from the pitch and towards the crowd that had begun to lift Ron up in the air. 

“Weasley! Weasley! Weasley!” she could hear them all shout as they heaved him towards the castle.

Hermione and Harry laughed loudly and lagged behind, walking slowly. “I still can’t believe you wasted your felix felicis on a stupid quidditch match Harry! You could have won without giving it to Ron!”

“Hermione, how is it any different from casting confundus so McLaggen would miss the quaffle?”

She gasped. She didn’t know he knew that she had done that to secure Ron’s place on the team. “It’s very different!” she argued. “That was tryouts, this is an actual game!

“Would it make you feel better if I told you I hadn’t actually slipped Ron the potion?” Hermione looked at him questioningly. “Because I didn’t.”

She narrowed her eyes. “You sneaky! I can’t believe it. So you just-”

“Made him believe I had,” Harry finished with a smile.

Hermione laughed. “You know, muggles call that the placebo effect.”

“It amazes me that you know so much. How do you keep all that information stored in there,” he said, tapping her forehead.

“Genetics,” she said lamely, shrugging. “And a lot of studying.”

Harry laughed and pulled her into another hug. “Come on, let’s go join the party.”

As they trudged back into the castle, Hermione could swear she saw someone following them up the floors to the Gryffindor tower, but whenever she looked back she saw no one. Deciding to ignore it, she and Harry said the password to the Fat Lady and were met with cheers as they walked into the common room. 

It seemed the party was in full swing and Hermione was in a good mood. While Harry went off to talk to Ginny, she went to find Ron. She pushed past some fifth years to the middle of the common room and instantly cracked a smile as she saw Ron being bombarded with praise from his fellow housemates. She was about to walk up to him to congratulate him again on his victory when she saw Lavender pull Ron off the table and throw her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss. 

Hermione felt the color drain from her face and immediately regretted having ever walked into the room. As her vision started to blur, she quickly retreated. Past the cheering Gryffindors, out the portrait hole- she had to get out of there.

She was starting to find it hard to breath and had to hold on to the railing of the stairs for support as she ran up to the seventh floor. Ignoring the looks she was getting from passerby, she kept a steady pace until she reached an empty hallway near the base of some stairs. Before she even had a chance to sit down, a group of fourth year Gryffindors stumbled in, obviously tipsy.

“Oh, sorry. We didn’t- we weren’t-” one of them tried to explain as he attempted to inconspicuously hide a bottle behind his back. 

“Save it,” Hermione said, sighing. She did not have the energy to deal with this right now. “Look, I won’t take away any points as long as all five of you go back to the tower now.”

She could practically feel them all unanimously sigh in relief as they started to move back. “Leave the bottle,” she said. 

“Aw, come on. We’re just trying to have a little fun,” one of them said. “There’s a party Granger! Live a little!”

She frowned. “You guys are all underage! Hand it over or I’ll be forced to report you to Professor McGonagall.” Hermione wasn’t being serious, of course. She could not imagine going through all the trouble when she felt this bad. She had just come here to let out her feelings and now she had to deal with this? 

“Fine,” she heard another say scathingly. He put the bottle on the ground before her and turned to walk away, his friends following behind him.

Hermione sighed. Finally, she thought as she heard their footsteps fade away. She looked at the bottle angrily. Her vision was blurry again and she sniffled. Fuck it. 

She grabbed the bottle off the ground and took off the topper. Looking at it in slight distaste, she brought it to her mouth and tilted it back quickly, taking a big gulp of firewhiskey. It burned her throat as the first few tears slid down her face. 

She silently sobbed and got accustomed to the warmth in her stomach, thinking it wasn’t really all that bad, as she took a second gulp. By her third chug, she could feel herself getting slightly lightheaded. By her fifth, she no longer thought the blurriness in her vision was being caused by tears.

So this is why people drink, Hermione thought bitterly. 

She heard footsteps behind her and set the bottle down rapidly before whoever was coming down saw her with it. She took out her wand and conjured up birds from thin air under the pretense that she was practicing charms. Whoever had been coming down the stairs put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

“Harry,” she said, sighing.

Harry sighed too and sat down next to her on the steps, looking up at the birds questioningly. “I had to ask four different people if they knew where you had run off to. I couldn’t find you anywhere in the common room and at first I thought maybe you had gone to bed. Then I saw Ron and Lavender.”

Hermione felt another wave of tears stream down her face. “How do you stand it?” she sobbed, wrapping her arms around her knees. He raised his eyebrow at her. “I see the way you look at her- at Ginny. You should have told me. I’m your best friend Harry.” 

Harry sighed again, looking solemnly at her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “It feels like this,” he finally replied. 

Hermione rested her head on him and cried as he rubbed soothing circles on her back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I can’t believe I’m so stupid.”

“No, Hermione. You’re not the one who’s stupid, I promise you.”

She was about to reply when she heard giggling coming towards them from the other end of the hall. She heard Harry whisper beside her, “Oh, bugger.”

As the form of Ron and Lavender drew closer, she tried to hold back more tears while she clumsily got to her feet. 

The two of them stood in front of her, both wearing equally stupid grins. I hate them. I hate him. I hate them. “Oops, I think this room is taken,” Lavender whispered, still giggling. She started pulling him away. “Let’s go Won Won.” 

“Harry,” Ron said. “Hermione, what’s with the birds?”

She felt rage course through her. “Oppugno.” 

The birds flew toward Ron and he backed away, frightened. “What the hell Hermione?” he shouted, running after Lavender.

Hermione turned back towards Harry. He looked aghast. “Teach me how to do that to Dean,” he said after a moment and she laughed. “Are you gonna be okay?”

“Yes, I think so,” she told him.

“Do you want me to stay with you a little bit longer?”

She shook her head. “I think I need to be alone for a little bit. I’ll see you later, okay?”

Harry looked at her as if he was trying to figure out if she was really okay. “Alright,” he said, standing up and giving her a hug. “Don’t drink anymore okay, Hermione?”

“How did you know I was drinking?” she asked, shocked. She hadn’t thought it was that obvious.

“You smell like firewhiskey… Also, there’s a nearly empty bottle on the ground,” he said, pointing to it. 

Hermione nodded. “Yeah, yeah. Okay Harry.” 

As he made his way back up the stairs she sat back down on the steps. She looked at the bottle and picked it up. “What Harry doesn’t know won’t kill him,” she whispered gingerly.

“Oh I don’t know, Granger. It might.”

Her head shot up and she saw none other than Draco Malfoy, making his way towards her. She frowned at him.

“Don’t be so sour Granger, don’t Gryffindors like to share?” he asked, nodding to the bottle.

She looked at him in surprise, just now noticing how tired and worn down he looked- not to mention drunk.

“You’re the one that’s sulking around Malfoy,” she spat. “And I think you’ve had enough.”

He pouted as he sat down next to her and held his hand out. “Come on Granger, I won’t tell if you don’t.”

She pondered his statement as she looked at his hand. “Don’t make me regret this,” she said, passing him the bottle. 

He took a large swig before handing it back. “You know, for someone who’s so smart, you really are dumb,” he said, looking at her, his words slightly slurred. “Trusting me right now. That can’t be an intelligent move on your part.”

“I like to remain as open minded as possible,” she retorted, taking a gulp from the bottle. “Besides, what are you gonna do? Kill me?”

Draco humphed, rolling his eyes. “Must be the Gryffindor in you.”

“Are you implying there is a part of me that isn’t Gryffindor?” she asked.

“I’m implying that I am not to be trusted.”

“Why must you make everything so depressing, Malfoy?” Hermione questioned. “Can’t a girl just wallow in peace? Can’t I possibly have even a second to myself before someone else comes along and makes me even sadder?” The firewhiskey was making it hard to control what she was saying. She swore.

He chuckled. “Oh are you sad Granger? I hadn’t noticed.”

She didn’t know why she had mentioned that she was sad. He didn’t care and all it did was make her remember why she started drinking in the first place. Her eyes welled up with tears. “Why are you even here? Isn’t it beneath you to sit around with scum like me?” 

Draco looked at her, shocked and also slightly horrified. “Wow, and you think I’m depressing?”

“Well, isn’t that what you always say about me? That I’m some sort of scum you think deserves to die?” Her tears were threatening to spill now.

He was silent for a moment while he considered her words. “Don’t say that,” he said and paused as a slightly more sober look passed over his features. “I’m sorry.”

Hermione couldn’t help the surprised gasp that she let out at his words. “You’re apologizing?” she asked, looking at him closely. “Are you sure you’re alright Malfoy?”

Draco smirked. “It might be because I’m seriously knackered at the moment, or maybe because I do have some good thing inside of me, but whatever the reason- yes, I’m apologizing. And I can’t promise I’ll even remember this in the morning, but um, yeah.”

Hermione nodded slowly, almost in a haze. “Well, thank you,” she said.

They sat in silence for a while, passing the bottle back and forth between them. “You know what’s also a stupid move on your part, Granger?” Draco asked her. 

She shook her head. “Having feelings for that idiotic redhead Weasley,” he said bluntly. “Especially after what happened tonight.”

Her eyes widened. “How do you- what? Who told you I have feelings for Ron?”

“Nobody had to tell me, Granger. It’s so bloody obvious. Well- maybe not to other people. But I’m exceptionally observant,” he said. 

“Ugh, I’m such an idiot. If someone like you can tell I like him- it makes me want to slap myself!”

“Calm down and don’t get your knickers in a twist. He doesn’t deserve you anyway,” he said nonchalantly, yawning as soon as he finished his sentence. “If anything you should be with Saint Potter. Just imagine, the Gryffindor Princess and the Boy-Who-Lived. Rita Skeeter would have a field day.” He smiled, thinking of the headlines she would come up with. 

Hermione smiled too. “Don’t make me laugh. ‘The Golden Trio: Love Triangle’ would probably be her favorite angle to milk. Oh gods, if she only knew what was happening now!” At this she actually did laugh. She couldn’t imagine the papers if Rita Skeeter managed to somehow learn of who exactly Gryffindor’s Golden Girl was having a civil conversation with. 

She stopped laughing and looked at Malfoy. The irony of the situation was not lost on him either. 

“Imagine what Ron would say,” she breathed, the playfulness of the conversation vanishing.

“Imagine what my father would say,” he said with a bitter smile, looking down.

He silently moved to grab the bottle and took a big gulp. Hermione frowned and accepted the bottle Malfoy held out to her.

“Well fuck him. And fuck Ron too.” 

The hint of hatred in his voice was hard to miss. 

Hermione took a sip from the bottle. “Malfoy,” she said. “Why are you being nice to me? Why are talking like this to each other? Why are we drinking together?” She was having a very hard time filtering what she was saying.

“Maybe I felt bad for you when I saw you crying. Maybe I wanted to vent and let go for once.” He shrugged and turned to look at her, fixing her with a devilish stare. “Or maybe we’re both just too drunk to care,” he said, smirking and taking the bottle from her.

As if to illustrate his point, he took another swig from the bottle.

“We should do this more often,” he said.

“What? Get drunk and complain about our lives?”

He snickered. “I never said anything about my life, Granger. We’ve been talking about your problems the entire time we’ve been here.”

A deep blush rose to her cheeks. He’s right, she thought sullenly. 

She reached out for the bottle and as she wound her fingers around its neck, her hand brushed over Draco’s. He let go of the bottle and she brought it to her lips, draining the rest of the liquid. She had started to feel very warm. 

“You’re being awfully quiet, Granger.” 

Her head was spinning. “I think, maybe, I’m really quite drunk,” she slurred.

As if in slow motion, Draco brought his hand up to her face and brushed her hair behind her ear. Hermione jumped back and looked at him as he quickly drew his hand away.

He sighed. “I think, maybe, I am too.”

“Does it always feel like this?” she asked him.

“Does what always feel like what?”

“Does being drunk always feel hotandspinning.”

“Granger, that doesn’t make sense.”

She stood unceremoniously and swayed. Draco stood up after her, also slightly unsteady.

The forgotten bottle lay on the ground at their feet.

“Dizzy,” she said, placing a hand on Draco’s arm.

He looked at her small hand on his arm and then at her face. She had a pretty pink tint to her cheeks. “Come on Princess, let’s get you back to your castle,” he said, taking the hand that was on his arm and pulling her along. 

By the time they got to Gryffindor tower, it was probably somewhere around two in the morning, though the two had long since been coherent enough to remember the time. 

“Password?”

“Granger, what’s the password,” he whispered, nudging her lightly.

She was leaning on him and it took her a moment to realize he had asked her a question. “Hm? Oh, uh Erumpent,” she said.

The Fat Lady started scorning them for coming back to the common room so late and waking her up when she realized that the blond wizard in front of her was none other than Draco Malfoy, holding up Hermione Granger. Her mouth fell open, as did the door, and she shook her head.

Hermione started to make her way through the open portrait hole before she turned her head towards Draco. “Goodnight and- uh, thanks,” she said.

“Goodnight Granger.”

As soon as Hermione laid in bed, after somehow managing to change into her pajamas, she passed out.


	2. Not Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned, any piece of Harry Potter. All characters, settings, etc. are property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

Hermione groaned groggily as she sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes. So this is a hangover, she thought regretfully. I shouldn’t have had so much to drink. Harry was right, bugger me. I can’t even remember getting into bed.

“I can’t believe she did that! No wonder everyone hates her,” Lavender said to Parvati.

Hermione groaned again and tried to tune out the loud voices of her roommates. 

“Well, you should know that I heard from Padma who heard from Blaise this morning at breakfast that Malfoy didn’t get back to his dorm until really late last night,” Parvati was excitedly telling Lavender, waving her hands in the air. 

Hermione’s eyes widened when she realized they were talking about Malfoy and the events of last night began to flash through her mind. 

“And Pansy was really upset because she’d been waiting up for him. She was sat in the common room when he finally got there and, get this, he was piss drunk. Pansy screamed bloody murder!” 

“What happened after?” Lavender asked and Hermione had to admit she was a bit curious too.

“They broke up!” Parvati shouted gleefully. Huh? Pansy and Malfoy broke up? 

“They didn’t!” Lavender gasped.

“They did! And Malfoy’s been acting like it’s no big deal at all. Pansy’s furious!” Parvati shouted.

“Well I would be too if the same thing happened with me and Ron,” Lavender said.

Hermione scoffed. “Could you guys possibly be any louder?” she asked them. “I’ve got an awful headache and your screaming is making it a hundred times worse.”

Parvati and Lavender both looked at her with sour faces. “You know, Hermione, I’ve never seen you get up this late before. What did you get up to last night?” Lavender asked her. “It sounds like you might have a hangover.” 

Hermione’s eyes narrowed at Lavender’s accusatory tone. “None of your business Lavender. Don’t you have to go see Ron or something?” 

“You know, you’re right. I do have to go meet Ron.” she replied haughtily and narrowed her eyes. “What are your plans for today?” 

Hermione turned her head and rolled her eyes as Lavender and Parvati resumed their conversation. Don’t stoop to her level, she told herself. 

She got up and went to go take a nice, long, hot bath in the prefects bathroom. As she was filling up the bathtub, she remembered that peppermint was supposed to be good for headaches and she added that into the water before climbing in. 

When she fully sank in, she felt her muscles start to unwind and relax. Yes, this is what she had needed. 

Hermione still couldn’t believe the trouble she had gotten into last night. Talking with Draco Malfoy, drinking, being amicable. What was wrong with her? Next time, I’ll stick with water and a good cry, she thought. Although, Malfoy was being rather nice, wasn’t he? But, why would he be nice to me? It wouldn’t surprise me if he was back to his old, horrid self today. 

They had spent quite a while together and they hadn’t even fought once. It was something Hermione never could have predicted happening. 

She sighed. It was really unlike her to do those sorts of things. Good thing she was also back to her usual self today. Although, she thought, it wasn’t such a bad time. 

She was about to close her eyes and rest for a while when she heard a loud growling coming from her stomach. Great. I can’t believe I overslept and missed breakfast, she thought, getting out and putting on a light pink jumper and jeans.

As she walked to the great hall, Hermione couldn’t help thinking of the conversation she’d had with Malfoy last night. Unless she had heard wrong, Malfoy had told her that Ron didn’t deserve her. And he had said it casually too, as if he hadn’t really considered what he was saying. It struck her as odd that he’d then made a joke. It just didn’t seem like the Malfoy she knew. She was turning a corner when-

“Watch where you’re going Granger,” she heard the boy from her thoughts snarl. “I’m surprised, even without your head in a book you still manage to bump into me.”

Yep, he’s definitely back to his old self today, she thought as she glared at him. “Sorry, I wasn’t looking.”

He paused, looking at her skeptically. “It’s okay, just watch where you walk.”

Hermione looked up at him now, a quizzical expression on her face. Did he just say it’s okay? “What?” she asked him but he was already walking away.

What is up with him? She thought. I have never in my life met someone as confusing as him. Not even Ron is this back and forth. 

Groaning, she made her way back to the common room to drop off her stuff and grab her schoolwork. She was planning on heading to the library for a few hours before lunch so she could get some work done early.

Nearing a corner, Hermione could make out hushed whispers coming from farther ahead. Seeing Ron and Harry in front of her, she started to make her way towards them.

"I mean, don’t you think it’s a bit weird that as soon as Lavender and I start dating, Hermione starts acting weird and obnoxious about it?” she heard Ron tell Harry.

Harry sighed. “I don’t think she’s acting weird or obnoxious, Ron.” Neither of them seemed to notice her as she walked closer.

“Harry don’t even try to deny it! She’s acting like she has a stick up her arse. Even Lavender said so! She told me Hermione tried to pick a fight with her earlier today.”

“So just because Lavender said so, you automatically have to blame Hermione?” Harry was clearly irritated with him.

Ron frowned and avoided his question. “I just don’t even know what her problem is. Why can’t she be more like Lavender?”

She froze. Tears clouded her vision and her mouth fell open as she looked at Ron. He looked up and saw her for the first time. 

His eyes widened. “Wait, Hermione I didn’t mean-”

She glared at him. “Oh, you didn’t? Save it Ron,” she said walking past him with her books clutched tightly in her arms. 

Hermione rushed to her favorite table in the library and hastily sat down, throwing her bag and books on the table and finally allowing her tears to fall. “Stupid, egotistical, good-for-nothing Ron,” she sobbed putting her head in her hands. “I can’t believe I ever let myself develop feelings for that- that animal!” 

Momentarily distracted, she didn’t hear the footsteps behind her moving closer. She felt a hand gently pat her on her back and she yelped, jumping, and looked up surprised. 

When she saw who was sitting next to her, it was all she could do not to faint right there. 

“Malfoy? What- what are you doing?” she asked, shocked, as she scanned his face, her tears coming to a stop.

“Isn’t it obvious Granger? I’m trying- and clearly failing- to comfort you,” he replied smoothly.

She narrowed her eyes. “But, why?” 

“I don’t really know. I mean, you were crying. So-”

“So you thought that you, Draco Malfoy, would comfort me? Me? Hermione Granger? Your sworn enemy’s best friend?” 

He chuckled. “Why are you always so surprised when I do something nice?”

“Maybe because you’ve never- save for last night- been nice to me in the six years we’ve known each other?”

“People change,” he said simply.

She frowned. “I’m well aware of that. I just never thought you could. Or that you wanted to,” she said cautiously.

Draco looked at her seriously and they locked eyes. For the first time, Hermione saw something other than the arrogant boy she had always known. 

“I want to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it!! new chapter coming soon


	3. Not Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: I do not own, nor have I ever owned, any piece of Harry Potter. All characters, settings, etc. are property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

As she sat with her knees drawn to her chest, pretending to read the book she was currently holding, Draco Malfoy calmly scribbled on a piece of parchment, every now and then lifting his head to look at the book in front of him. 

Have I somehow been thrust into an alternate universe?

Hermione could not recall a time in her life when her and Malfoy had ever acted so civilly before. It was different from the drunken night they had shared. They were currently sitting at the same table in the library, doing homework-together. She couldn’t believe the series of events that were unfolding before her. And yet, there he was, right in front of her, acting as if the bad blood between them meant nothing.

“Do you need something, Granger?” he asked coolly, not looking up from his paper.

She realized that she had been staring and blushed. “Oh- uh, no sorry.”

…

Draco sighed and continued to write about the benefits of mandrake root in modern day transformative potions. He had felt Granger staring at him for precisely three minutes before he decided to call her out on it. If he were to take a wild guess, he would say she had been thinking about him. Or- not him exactly- but her interactions with him as of late.

He got up to get another book. This assignment was taking much longer than he thought it would.

He silently cursed Snape. Granger had breezed through it and on top of that had finished two other assignments in the time they had been sitting in the library. 

He looked at her from where he stood by the shelves. She was immersed in the book in front of her and was writing furiously without even looking at the parchment. Draco chuckled to himself. Too smart for her own good, he thought.

As he sat back down, another book in his hand, his mind flashed back to the previous day. 

It hadn’t been a very good one. 

First, he had gotten a letter from his father, telling him the expectations of the Dark Lord and what would come if he didn’t obey his every instruction. Then, he had lost yet another match against Gryffindor. Pansy wouldn’t stop bothering him when he had left the pity fest that was the Slytherin common room and he was starting to get really tired of her constant nagging. On top of all that, Pansy had broken up with him when he got back to the common room. That wasn’t a bad thing though, in his opinion. His father might berate him for it, but Draco was glad to finally be rid of her. 

The only upside had been running into Granger. Who knew that their short time together would have helped distract him from his problems so well?

She was strange, there was no doubt about it. And not necessarily in a bad way.

Draco had thought that upon seeing him, she would have yelled and insulted him- but she hadn’t. She had been polite to him, even though he didn’t deserve it, and drank with him while they talked. It was refreshing.

Since years ago when they first met, Draco had known Hermione would never be his friend. No matter how smart she was, how pretty, how recognized, Draco would have never been allowed to get close to her because she was a mudblood. But now, he was slowly realizing that he had been fed so many lies in his youth. He was starting to understand that everything his father had taught him, and everything he was now doing for the Dark Lord, was wrong.

The problem was, he knew his family was in danger if he didn’t do what was expected of him. But, despite that, he couldn’t help wanting to change his fate. 

“...lunch now?”

Draco looked up at the sudden voice. “Huh?” he asked.

“Don’t you think we should go to lunch now?” Hermione repeated. “We’ve been here for hours and we’re late for lunch. I missed breakfast this morning, so I’m pretty hungry.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t even realize we’d been here that long or that lunch had even started.”

Hermione smiled and shook her head. “Well, I’m going. I don’t think I can wait until dinner to eat, so transfiguration will have to wait.”

Her smile perplexed him. They weren’t friends- they were supposed to be enemies. And yet, she was here with him, smiling. “I’ll go too. I didn’t realized how hungry I was until you mentioned it,” he said, grimacing. 

She laughed this time. He didn’t deserve for her to be like this towards him after all he had done and what he was currently doing.

Draco gave her a small smile back and started packing his things up. He wanted to tell her what was happening- what was going to happen- but he knew that he couldn’t. There was nothing she could do and she might risk her life in order to try to stop it.

They had been walking in comfortable silence from the library for the last couple minutes and they were getting closer to the Great Hall. When they were almost there, he paused. He didn’t want to walk in with her. It wouldn’t be good if people saw them together. But, Hermione might think it was because he was embarrassed to be seen with her. 

Instead of waiting for him, she went on ahead so she could enter before him and not with him. Even now, she was being nice. Draco took his time walking so that he would enter a while after she did. 

He had really never met anyone like her. And all this time he had been thinking so lowly of her, blinded by his father’s teachings. He was just starting to realize that Hermione was so much more than her blood and what other people said about her. 

He made his way to his seat at the Slytherin table and greeted Blaise with a nod. 

“Draco,” Blaise nodded. “Where were you all morning?”

“Library.”

“On a Sunday morning? Bull,” he said.

Draco spooned mashed potatoes onto his plate. “Believe what you want.”

Blaise changed the subject. “I heard you and Pansy broke up.”

Draco raised his eyebrows. “Already? Where’d you hear that?” News spread fast then. He shrugged. “We did.”

“Sorry to hear it,” he offered.

“Don’t be,” Draco said, cutting the meat on his plate

Blaise looked at him seriously and put down his fork. “Draco, ever since last year, and especially since the beginning of this year, you’ve been different with everyone. You haven’t been yourself. You know you can tell me anything that’s going on with you, right?”

“Thanks, Blaise, but I’m fine. I’m just stressed.”

“Alright.” Blaise patted his shoulder. “If you say so, mate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this chapter is so short! I just thought this was the natural end to the chapter since what happens next doesn’t really fit into this chapter. Thank you guys so much for still reading this even though my updates are so slow <3


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